The countdown continues for the 2015 SEAT Leon Eurocup.

• The second edition of the single-make series will begin on April 25th at Paul Ricard circuit
• First seven rounds will take in renowned European motorsport venues
• 30 drivers from 15 countries will belt-up in the SEAT Leon Cup Racer to form the grid in the very first outing of the 2015 campaign

The SEAT Leon Eurocup 2015 will slip into gear next week with the first round of seven taking place at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on the 25^th- 26^th of April. After the enormous success of the inaugural season last year the Europe-based championship promises to deliver more action and thrills throughout this new edition with the schedule enlarged to seven meetings; one extra compared to 2014.

  

Paul Ricard will host the opener. The spectacular French facility will entertain the SEAT Leon Eurocup for the first time and thirty drivers of fifteen nationalities in the initial fixture will combine to offer some unmissable action for fans of four-wheel racing. The entry list has followed suit in terms of the rising prestige and popularity of the championship and even more participants will line-up at Paul Ricard where another indelible page of history will be written in the annals of the SEAT Leon Eurocup.

During the season, the 27-strong field of racers will traverse the continent to visit other prominent and historic circuits such as Estoril (Portugal), Silverstone (UK), Nürburgring (Germany) and the Red Bull Ring (Austria) that, like Paul Ricard, will entertain the European contest for the first time.

The drivers will again have the formidable SEAT Leon Cup Racer at their disposal and the 330 PS on tap will guarantee superlative performance and exceptional results. Through the first year of the SEAT Leon Eurocup further spoils could be added, such as victories in three of the first four races in the TCR International Series.

Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport, commented: “After the success of the first year of the SEAT Leon Eurocup we are really looking forward to the second season. The championship has turned into something that fans ink into their racing calendar and we are really proud of this after all the hard work put in by everybody involved in creating and staging the SEAT Leon Eurocup. Ahead of us we can anticipate many exciting races and hope, like last year, the crowds will again respond and grow at the circuits we visit. Once you’ve had a taste then you’ll just want to come back for more.”

World Series by Renault to return to Silverstone in 2015.

• Silverstone to host World Series by Renault in 2015
• Full event details to be released early next year

The 2015 World Series by Renault dates have been announced by Renault Sport Technologies and are set to feature no less than six circuits used by Formula One and a welcome return to Silverstone for the British round.

Adored by the drivers and teams, Silverstone will host a meeting of the World Series by Renault for the 10th anniversary of the event. This legendary circuit marks the return of the series to Great Britain and is sure to be much appreciated by the fans who have made the previous events such successes.

The French round will see a venue change for 2015.  After four terrific visits to Circuit Paul Ricard, Renault Sport Technologies will make its return to the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit at the end of September. After hosting the Fast, Free & Fun event on four occasions, the world-renowned motor racing city will draw huge crowds as was the case in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

The other rounds of the World Series by Renault will be held at Motorland Aragón, Spa-Francorchamps, the Hungaroring, the Nürburgring as well as Circuito de Jerez. The Formula Renault 3.5 Series will also be the curtain raiser for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix as well as at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

“For ten years, the World Series by Renault has offered a marvellous show both on and off the track, witnessed by more than five million spectators,” explains Renault Sport Technologies Competition Director, Jean-Pascal Dauce.

“To celebrate these ten years, we wanted to offer a calendar composed of circuits used by Formula One and important rounds for Renault.  Balance is respected and the tracks run on will better prepare the drivers for the elite! We have also worked to respond to the wishes of the event’s community that wanted to see Le Mans and Silverstone reinstated.”

The 2015 World Series by Renault will feature the latest race car from Renault Sport Technologies – the Renaultsport R.S 01.  This car will compete in the Renaultsport Trophy that acts a springboard for the professional GT and Endurance championships and can be seen at WSR events alongside a plethora of Renault racing championships and motorsport demonstration events, including many vehicles from Renault’s rich motorsport heritage.

Renaultsport R.S 01 is a racing car with spectacular styling and governed by an absolute pursuit of aerodynamic downforce.  Its technical specifications reflect the best of Renaultsport expertise.  With a carbon monocoque for a weight of less than 1,100 kg and an engine developing over 500 hp, it is able to reach a top speed of over 300 kph.

2015 World Series by Renault Calendar (subject to the approval of the FIA)
25 – 26 April:             Motorland Aragón, Spain
30 – 31 May:             Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
13 – 14 June:            Hungaroring, Hungary
29 – 30 August:        Silverstone, England
12 – 13 September: Nürburgring, Germany
26 – 27 September: Bugatti Circuit Le Mans, France
17 – 18 October:       Circuito de Jerez, Spain

Formula Renault 3.5 Series only:
24 May:                      Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix
TBC:                           Red Bull Ring, Austria

Bentley continues winning ways at latest round of the Endurance series.

• Smith, Meyrick and Kane victorious in close race at Paul Ricard
• Continental GT3 wins third round of Blancpain Endurance Series
• 2014 Bentley Boys take championship lead

After scoring an historic victory at Silverstone last month, the #7 M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 of Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane finished first in the third round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France, for the team’s second victory in a row. With the victory, Smith, Meyrick and Kane move in to the lead in the overall drivers’ championship standings ahead of the Series’ headline event at the 24 Hours of Spa at the end of July.

In the dusk light of the track at Le Castellet, Steven Kane powered his way to victory with a narrow lead of just 1.1 seconds after three hours of racing, in a race that demanded the very best from both the Continental GT3 and its trio of drivers. The fight for the win dominated the third and final hour-long stint of the race, with the gap between the #7 car and the ART McLaren of Parente, Demoustier and Lapierre varying between six seconds and less than one second.

Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, comments:

“This was a tough race to win, and I’m delighted that we’ve succeeded. We know that our race pace tends to be better than our qualifying pace, so we went in to this evening’s race with the aim of improving from our grid slots. When we saw how well the Continental GT3 was looking after its tyres, we knew we had to push for the podium, and the team responded. The pit stops were slick, the calls from the race engineers were outstanding and our strategy was ideal. Andy then did a great job to take the lead during his stint, but Steven had to get everything out of the car to hold off the McLaren. The last 40 minutes were tense for everyone and we weren’t sure if we could keep ahead, but it was a great battle and I’m delighted that Andy, Steven and Guy leave here leading the championship.”

Bentley Boy Andy Meyrick took the lead half way through the race, and comments:

“We came here knowing we could do well, but to come away with another win feels incredible. Guy was able to make a great start on new tyres, and he used them really well to make up places in the first few laps. That put me in the position to challenge for the lead, but the McLaren made me work for it, and I had to pull-off a really tricky move to get past him. Steven then had to keep the lead, which definitely wasn’t easy and we had to push right until the end. We’ve shown what the Bentley is capable of in a close fight and I couldn’t be happier.”

The second Continental GT3 of Antoine Leclerc, Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Duncan Tappy was forced to retire on lap 41 due to a drivetrain issue.

The Story of The Race

The two Continental GT3 racers both qualified in the top ten on Saturday morning, with #8 in P7 and #7 in P9. The stewards then issued a series of penalties, including one for #8 for setting a fast time just as the final qualifying session was red flagged. This demoted #8 to P14 on the grid, but elevated #7 to P7.

Guy Smith and Antoine Leclerc started the race in their respective cars, and both drove impressive opening stints. Guy climbed from 7^th to 3^rd in the space of his 32-lap stint, before handing over to Andy Meyrick. Antoine made up even more places, moving his Continental GT3 from 14^th to 7^th before pitting and being replaced by Jérôme D’Ambrosio.

The M-Sport Bentley pit crew delivered extremely fast pit stops, including a sub-23 second tyre change that brought Andy back on to the track in 2^nd place. It only took Andy a handful of laps to close on the leading McLaren, which then put up a great fight until Andy was able to dive up the inside for the lead. Jérôme was matching Andy’s pace and had brought his Continental GT3 up to 5^th, before a driveline issue brought him to a halt half-way round the circuit.

Andy pitted from the lead on lap 57, to be replaced by Steven Kane. A slightly slower pit stop allowed the McLaren, now driven by Nicolas Lapierre, to be immediately behind Steven as he rejoined the track. The next hour was full of tense racing as the two cars traded times, with them frequently separated by less than a second. Steven was able to hold on for the win, and crossed the line in emphatic style as the team celebrated the second victory for the Continental GT3 in its maiden season.